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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23959981">New Moon to Guide</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaemonxV/pseuds/DaemonxV'>DaemonxV</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, InuYasha - Secret of the Cursed Mask</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Anxiety, M/M, Modern Era, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, WIP</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:48:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23959981</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaemonxV/pseuds/DaemonxV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>If there was one concession that Inuyasha had with the coming of the new moon, it was that he was usually defended from other yokai while shunted out into the mortal world.</p><p>His monthly visit with Kururugi Michiru just happened to be a convenient perk.</p><p>An AU that recounts the nights of Inuyasha, who is only able to inhabit the mortal world during new moons, and Michiru, who awaits his monthly arrival.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>InuYasha/Kururugi Michiru, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha), Past InuYasha/Higurashi Kagome</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The First Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Inuyasha is introduced to Michiru and is actually encouraged to stop and think with his brain for once...</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first time Inuyasha met Michiru Kururugi, they’d both been stranded in the park.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha, through no damn fault of his own, had ended up along the wayside of his usual stomping grounds. It was some place that was both familiar, but not having nearly enough intimate knowledge to navigate by himself. Things were so much different in the dark, (and especially when half-demon senses failed him)…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, since sunset, he meandered thoughtfully, looking for some sign or landmark that might direct him back to where he needed to be. In the far back of his mind, he could hear Kagome’s nagging voice scolding him for failing yet again to heed her advice to buy a cell phone for situations just like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tch, like hell he’d need to call for anyone’s help</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Inuyasha had been independent for more than a couple decades, he could handle walking through a park at night, regardless if his demon blood was dormant or not…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was the theory, at least, even as Inuyasha stubbornly ambled about in the darkness of the park, following the beaten paths where the light posts aligned themselves. It was well approaching midnight and he was still directionless and steadily becoming more frustrated with his situation. Hadn’t he just passed this bench thirty steps back? Why the hell did everything look the same around here?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He snorted under his breath, reaching up to readjust his cap and tuck back his dark tresses while he figured out which direction he was going to take next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The muffled, sobbing gasps he heard gave him pause.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, Inuyasha didn’t consider himself a nosy person, by any means. If he did happen to interfere in other’s affairs, it was usually because they were imperilled and he happened to be there to lend a hand. However, owing to the fact that his ears were very much dulled in his full-human state, it wasn’t a huge leap of logic that whoever was in distress was very much near, and now he had to weigh his concern against his self-interest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the end, it was curiosity that came in out of left field to overtake the rest of his faculties. Just down the path and around the bend, he came upon the source of the broken sobs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whoever they were, they were young, Inuyasha was sure. An adult, but barely, possibly in his early 20’s. About the same age as Kagome. They were crouched, almost curled in a ball, as they took rapid, shallow breaths, and shaking like a leaf where they squat. A plastic shopping bag forgotten at their side, while they hid their face in their hands, unable to face the world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hardly took Inuyasha a second to kneel down and examine them. “Hey! Are you alright?” He probed, looking them over, brows furrowed with a concerned frown. They didn’t answer him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha would have been almost sure they didn’t even register his presence, not that he wasn’t used to that… But humans could always notice him during the moonless nights, regardless of circumstances. Something about this was different to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This person didn’t appear injured, as far as he could guess. No scrapes or wounds… His curled, trembling posture had appeared different than the seizes of pain he’d been familiar seeing in his many days of struggle as well. He was impressed that whoever they were, they were deep within a well of dread or despair... Their breaths were rapid, shallow and uneven, like breathing was a struggle for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon, understanding scraped at Inuyasha’s recollection. He tried a different tactic. “Hey. I want you to listen.” He spoke, intending not to sound as rough as he usually did. “I’m gonna count to four. When I do, I want you to breathe in. Can you do that?” He had no response from them, but he pushed ahead. “Remember, count of four. Ready? One… Two…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He counted off, goading them to listen. Although there’d been a hiccup in their breaths, Inuyasha could say with some confidence that his instructions made it through. “Okay, now hold that breath.” He instructed again. “I’m gonna count to four again. This time, I want you to breathe out slowly. Got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The curled figure gave him a slight nod. Good. Progress already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This process repeated a number of times. Inuyasha counted the lengths of each inhale and exhale by fours, leading the prone person to a steadier state. Each new cycle resulted in smoother, deeper breaths, until the trembling spell had passed, and they were able to finally remove their hands from their face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feelin’ better?” Inuyasha prodded again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They answered, breathlessly, “I-… I think so, yes…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With some little effort, Inuyasha helped the stranger up on their feet, directing them to the nearest bench. They wobbled on weak legs to seat themselves down on the hardwood, sighing as they sucked in more lungfuls of air. Inuyasha followed shortly after, placing the nearly forgotten plastic shopping bag between the both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, umm?” He blinked, before smiling, sheepishly. “I’m sorry, what do I call you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inuyasha’s fine.” He supplied. Usually, that response was enough to keep people from asking too many questions about who he was or where he came from. Family names really complicated his nights when people wanted to dissect his history. Answering them in a way that discouraged that with the least amount of resistance was something of an acquired skill he’d learned over the years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inuyasha.” They confirmed, still flushed by a sense of bashfulness. The other combed a hand in their short hair, somewhat self-conscious. “My name is Kururugi… But Michiru will work as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michiru was all Inuyasha would bother to commit to memory. His family wasn’t of particular concern to him anyways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sat for a time in silence, heavy and vaguely uncomfortable. Inuyasha debated whether it was okay for him to just get up and take off. It wasn’t as though Michiru was curled up in the fetal position anymore, he didn’t need his protection. Of course, what really stopped him was that even if he left, he knew he had no clue which direction to take.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for helping me. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tch.” Inuyasha clicked his tongue against his teeth. “‘Wasn’t even the hardest thing I had to deal with tonight.” He declared plainly. If anything bothered him, it was that he couldn’t rely on his usual strengths. Instead, he was stuck with having to roam the dark as a squishy human, vulnerable to dumb, mundane threats that squishy humans had to worry over...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha peered next to him, noticing Michiru shrugging into himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait. Shit.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He made him guilty, didn’t he? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dammit</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “I mean-. It wasn’t no problem.” Inuyasha backpedaled. He’d just gotten this kid off the ground, he didn’t need to kick him while he was still tender. It wouldn’t help him to send him spiralling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a friend who used to panic a lot in the past. He’s been better since he started meditating and everythin’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michiru nodded, his dark eyes soft with understanding. “That’s a good idea. Maybe I should try that...” He smiled wryly. “It’s better than collapsing in a public park at night… This is really embarrassing...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha regarded him with a frown. He wasn’t good at the whole emotions deal, his friends called him ignorant at best and thick-headed at worst… Michiru, however, seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve. Somehow, he was able to pick up on the other’s sorrow and shame, even with his own clueless nature.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did something set you off?” Inuyasha asked bluntly. “I’d been told that sometimes happens with people who panic like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, “It’s nothing, really. Nothing serious, at least. It’s actually pretty silly.” Michiru responded. His thumbs twiddled, picking at each other anxiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just worried myself over school. There’s all this extra work, and I’m having a hard time understanding most of my classes. Philosophy isn’t easy… I’m just a little overwhelmed by everything right now. I guess the pressure just got to me.” He admitted, as he watched the tips of his shoes, picking hangnails off his thumbs. “I guess I’m scared of failure… Or being one? Like I said, I’m just being silly…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It all did seem silly to Inuyasha as he heard it, he didn’t really understand the kind of pressure Michiru was talking about. It left him to really appreciate just how fragile humans could be. It was sort of pathetic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not that he had any room to really say that sort of thing, as the situation was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As long as night lasted with no moon to accompany him, Inuyasha was just as human and pathetic as any of them. Compared to Michiru, Inuyasha had no education, next-to-no money, not even a box to live under or a pot to piss in. This was the reality that he lived one night for every month that passed by him, but could never be bothered to remember for the other twenty-some days in between when it all felt like a bad dream to be discarded immediately…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could practically feel the disapproval of his friends, and all their well-meaning but unheeded scoldings at his back…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t suppose you got friends to help you out, do ya?” Inuyasha wondered, as the thought of his own friends scuttled into his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michiru sighed. “I try not to bother them. If I whine about my problems, I’ll probably just end up annoying everybody. You’re the only person I’ve honestly ever told.” He admitted bashfully, and rubbed his face in his hands. “I didn’t really mean to burden you, either. I must be tired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This explanation felt somewhat foreign to Inuyasha as well. As much of an independent spirit as he was, most or all of his friends practically admonished him daily to allow himself to depend on them more and more. He could really only imagine a situation where he could be humbled enough to allow them to help, that they wouldn’t spring at the opportunity to assist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michiru, feeling too ashamed to bring himself up to ask for help, was something equal to the complete opposite of his situation… Although entirely too similar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Damn, since when did he stop and think about crap like that? This guy was cramping his style…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scratched at his own neck, as he considered what he wanted to say next. “I mean, it’s better to fail trying than to give up halfway, right?” He reasoned. Inuyasha had his own experiences with failure, more than he could ever hope to count, and he was bound to make more, definitely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he didn’t become as strong a hanyou as he was by laying down when things got tough. “If you’re going to be a failure, fine. But if you quit, then you become a failure </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> a coward.” He regarded Michiru as he spoke. “That seems like a no-brainer to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw Michiru’s throat bob, as he seemed to consider Inuyasha’s words. One didn’t quite need to have demon senses to gauge the amount of terror that peeled off the other in waves. Michiru spoke with a dry, tiny voice. “What if my best just isn’t enough? What if this is all I can do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha scoffed. “Then you go for it anyways!” He answered emphatically. “You finish what you start, and move on if it don’t feel right! Then you find something that does! The point is that you keep yourself going until you know what the right thing to do is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a beat of charged silence, as the heat of Inuyasha’s voice lingered. It was shortly dispelled by Michiru’s quiet, soft laughter. “I’m sorry… You just make it sound so easy. Like some character from a manga…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha’s face reddened at the comparison. He snorted derisively. “Of course it ain’t easy! That’s the point!” He declared. “Nobody’s impressive by doing what’s easy. If you’re content to do as people expect you to do, go ahead! But pride is built on victory over struggle. If that means just passing a test or finishing a class you’re no good in, at least no one could say you weren’t determined to stick ‘til the end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha harrumphed, crossing his arms across his chest in frustration. Inspirational speeches were definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> his sort of thing. Screw this guy for getting him so worked up with his damned pity-party. It seriously pissed him off…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Waiting for a response from Michiru, Inuyasha glanced his periphery to regard him. Instead, Michiru looked to be contemplative. Still, but also somewhat serene. Oddly enough, Inuyasha believed he was actually considering all that bullshit he spewed in the moment… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both sat in silence, far longer than the first time. Each of them sat in their own consciousness, considering the mysterious natures of the other. Inuyasha couldn’t say for Michiru, but his own mind was coiling up in knots, pondering exactly what Michiru got from their conversation. Was he helping? Was he hurting? How could he know? Why did he care? He didn’t. Not him. No way…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was in no way invested in Michiru Kururugi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michiru grunted softly, as he pushed off his knees and up from the bench. The deep lines under his otherwise soft and kind eyes, coupled with his uneven posture really broadcast how deep his fatigue sank. But the relaxed smile seemed to suggest some weight had climbed down from Michiru’s shoulders as well. “I think I should go. Thank you for your help tonight.” He bowed respectfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tch, whatever.” Inuyasha scoffed. Good riddance. He grasped the plastic bag Michiru left behind on the bench, “Don’t forget this.” He held it up to offer back to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michiru responded with a forced laugh and a wave. “Don’t worry about that. I’d like you to have it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Incredulous, Inuyasha blurted, “Huh??” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You helped me.” Michiru reasoned, with a small, genuine smile. “You sat and listened to me complain, and believe it or not, I feel like you gave me some courage tonight. You can take it as my thanks. I’m not sure I’d even be able to enjoy it anymore… I’d feel better if you could take it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha was utterly confounded. What a weird guy… Just giving a complete stranger his late-night snacks just for helping him out during a panic attack? (Inuyasha ignored the fact that him helping a stranger in the park at night, and otherwise unprompted, could have come off as equally bizarre to another’s perspective…)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, it wasn’t as though Inuyasha was repulsed by the reward itself… and if Michiru was insisting it would go to waste in his possession, who was he to refuse? Inuyasha rarely liked to waste food himself, if he could help it…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Satisfied that his gift would be accepted, Michiru bowed once more. “Thank you again. I’ll be going now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite himself, Inuyasha prodded. “You gonna be okay getting back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michiru smiled, expressly touched by the concern. “I’ll be alright. I don’t live too far at all. I feel like I’ll sleep the moment I get home” He turned and waved. “Goodbye, Inuyasha. Have a good night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From his seat at the bench, Inuyasha watched him leave, out towards the opposite side of the park, and eventually out of sight. At least Michiru recognized his path home. He was still doing better than Inuyasha at the moment… From his seat at the bench, Inuyasha pondered more and more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Such a thing was indeed outside of his usual nature, he’d recognize that much. Though he’d cop to being thoughtless, he wasn’t so thick not to be aware of himself. He was the guy who preferred action than to consider things deeply. His strength was leaping ahead and improvising around any further consequences afterward. It was how he lived his life, and he wasn’t quite so inclined to change that about himself so far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, now he couldn’t help himself but to wonder a bit at this unusual encounter. Inuyasha wasn’t totally sure if the dilution of his demon senses came into play here, or simply that he’d achieved some bit of pause, talking to Michiru just now. Perhaps it was because it had all been so unusual that Inuyasha had to stop and digest it in its entirety.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chewed over it all, as he tucked into the bag of chips that’d been gifted to him. The visualization of Michiru, stressed and exhausted, walking the dark paths of the park late at night like, trying to find solace at the local convenience store. He could imagine him, ambling about like some lost soul or ghoul, picking out his favorite supplies among a fog of emotions. Inuyasha himself didn’t care for chocolates or sweets much, but he appreciated Michiru’s taste in orange drinks and salted snacks…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How would his night have gone if Inuyasha hadn’t come across him? Would he have gotten past the attack on his own and eventually find his way home? He could have lost his breath and fainted. Who could have come across him then? There were certain demons Inuyasha knew that could harm people in their sleep, nevermind the unsavory humans that chose to prowl at night either. He could have been entirely alone… Like Inuyasha was right now…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, he got a rare epiphany. This must have been how Kagome felt when he went missing without notice. Not that Inuyasha was defenseless like Michiru, but he could sense a familiar pattern, loathe he was to admit it. Michiru’s shame. Inuyasha’s pride. Either way, it made them rely too much on isolation. Inuyasha saw what it did to Michiru. More startlingly, he empathized with that feeling greatly, and it opened up a whole damn floodgate of understanding for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah… hell.” He griped, as he crushed the chip bag in his hands and tossed it to the next immediate trashcan. He had to look for a goddamn phone…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe if he followed the direction opposite Michiru, he’d come across the convenience mart he’d just come from.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to all who took the time to read through my casual passion project! I have some personal feelings for Secret of the Cursed Mask, so I hope you can enjoy Michiru's character in this story.</p><p>I wanna give some special thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/adevinecomedy">adevinecomedy</a> and Draven for beta-ing the first chapter, you guys rule! Thanks so much for putting up with my demands. XD</p><p>No clue on the arrival of the next chapter. As I've said, this is a casual endeavor. I got many pet projects I like to dip my hands into, but who knows what the future might bring?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Connectivity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Inuyasha gets on the grid... On relative terms.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The phone thing was, at once, both simple and entirely too complex to navigate for Inuyasha’s circumstances.</p><p>It had taken the Higurashi family about three weeks to incorporate Inuyasha into their newest family plan. All it had really taken was some gentle forgery where Mama Higurashi included Inuyasha among her children, it wasn’t too far-fetched, since the understanding woman all but adopted him to the family when he first started coming around their home. </p><p>Adding Shippo was a natural move on Kagome's part, since the fox had a particular proclivity for mischief. It made sense to outfit the smaller demon as well, so long as they were the ones footing the bill.</p><p>By the grace of the size of their increased family, they’d managed to negotiate a reasonable rate for everyone involved.</p><p>Inuyasha didn’t require much out of a phone, he’d never needed one in the time he’d been alive, and it was uncommon for yokai to indulge in modern technology to begin with. He only required a simple device to let his friends know how he was and where they could find him in emergencies. He didn’t foresee himself using the texting or internet, or whatever-the-hell other functions the thing had at all, if he could help it. He wasn’t a technical guy who fiddled with such delicate things.</p><p>That still didn’t stop Kagome from sitting him down to show him how everything worked.</p><p>“See that?” She pointed, indicating to her name on the menu of the device. “If you need to reach me, you can choose my name here. If I’m in class, you can select here to text me.”</p><p>He scowled. “Why would I text you? Why not call you?”</p><p>“I won’t be able to answer if you call. I keep my phone on silent during lectures.”</p><p>“Then what was the point of getting the phone?? You were bothering me to get one, now you’re telling me you’re not gonna answer me when I do call?” Seriously? She never mentioned any of this before. Inuyasha couldn’t help but feel like he’d been tricked somehow. He didn’t like that feeling in the least.</p><p>“I didn’t say that.” Kagome huffed, bristling back as Inuyasha’s voice raised. “I meant that I’m easier to reach in the daytime when you text. It’s considered rude to take phone calls in the middle of class, you know!”</p><p>Inuyasha snorted. How stupid. “What a hassle! I’m starting to wonder why I bother.”</p><p>“Well, you’re not the only one!” Kagome retorted, with indignation. “You are totally impossible!”</p><p>“You two really can’t help yourselves, can you?” Shippo observed from the doorway. How long had he been there? Inuyasha supposed it didn’t matter, not with how loud he and Kagome were with each other. “It’s barely been ten minutes, you’re already at each other’s throats.”</p><p>“<em>Are not! </em>”</p><p>“<em>We are not! </em>”</p><p>They both flashed a glare at the other, before flicking their attention elsewhere with a harrumph. </p><p>Inuyasha flopped back carelessly over Kagome’s bed to stare up at the ceiling. As far as he was concerned, their conversation was over. He relaxed with his arms pillowing the back of his head, only idly paying attention as Kagome spoke with Shippo.</p><p>“What did you need, Shippo? I thought Sota was showing you the phone?”</p><p>Shippo shrugged. “That sort of fell apart when grandma and grandpa started rambling at each other.” He supplied, hopping up to sit on Kagome’s other side. “I learned how to use the camera though! Look at the pictures I took!”</p><p>“Ohhhh~! Look at Buyo!” Kagome cooed, as she hovered over Shippo. “He’s so cute!”</p><p>Inuyasha sniffed, fuming. <em> “Please. That wasn’t so impressive”. </em> Really, anybody could have snapped a picture of that lazy feline.</p><p>“I was thinking of posting these online!” Shippo said, excitedly. “Can you show me how to do that?”</p><p>Kagome hummed with disapproval. “Now, be careful Shippo. You’re still way too young for social sites.” Kagome warned, showing some considerable concern. “I’m not sure you could handle it. Plus, our plan doesn’t leave much room for data use.”</p><p>Shippo hopped in his seat, determined to argue. “Hey, I’m responsible!” He insisted. “I just want a place to show off my pictures! Sota said he’d talk to his friends about following me! I’ll only post things when I have wi-fi. I’ll turn the data off! Please?”</p><p>Inuyasha’s ear flicked with irritation. Data? Social sites? Posting?? What the hell were they even talking about? Where did Shippo learn this crap anyhow? They’d had these damn toys for all of twenty minutes!</p><p>He grunted, rolling up off the bed to his feet, and shoving the device into his pocket. He had to go for a walk.</p><p>“Inuyasha?” He heard Kagome’s voice calling after him. “Where’re you going?”</p><p>Inuyasha didn’t know. He just didn’t want to be here. “Out.” He replied curtly, before hopping out of her bedroom window, into the grand wide world outside.</p><p>---</p><p>There were few places in Tokyo where Inuyasha could really go to feel at ease. Even past the barriers and across the extended spaces of the otherworld, the din of the city and its human inhabitants were never truly far away.</p><p>Not that Inuyasha found himself craving silence. He and silence were comfortable acquaintances at best, and at worst, an abusive relationship he kept hopping in and out of like a whirlwind of emotion, (considering his proclivity for wild and passionate mood-swings, that was a given). The noise of the city, however, was not an ideal place to clear his mind.</p><p>His usual go-to was the Higurashi shrine, at least in recent years. The shrine and its inhabitants were warm and comfortable and always inviting. If he and Kagome could ever stop biting each other’s heads off, it’d be downright ideal. It always just seemed their chemistry kept them exploding at each other to really keep them from achieving that ideal, and Inuyasha was an old dog who found it really hard to change almost a century’s worth of behaviors he’d depended on to survive.</p><p>Considering this was the place he’d just come from, that left him with his second favorite location. Second in that it was really one of two he would or could really frequent.</p><p>“You made yourself at home, I see.” Miroku regarded him, as he gently shut the front door of his studio behind him. “Wonderful to see you, Inuyasha.” </p><p>Inuyasha, from his laid-back position on the couch, grunted in response. Miroku almost sounded sincere when he said he was happy to see him, it almost made Inuyasha want to believe him.</p><p>Miroku shrugged his satchel off his shoulder, hoisting it onto the dining table with a weary sigh. Something in the way he exhaled made Inuyasha envision a tired, satisfied smile. Weird guy.</p><p>“Are you staying long?” Miroku asked him, as he removed his coat with a rustle of wool. “I was planning to make leftovers, but we could do take-out instead?”</p><p>Inuyasha shrugged non-committedly. “Don’t go all fancy on my account. I’m just tryna nap…”</p><p>“Did you have another fight with Kagome?”</p><p>Inuyasha frowned. Miroku was way too perceptive for his own damn good. Why’d he think this was a good idea again? Because Miroku’s apartment was high-rise and out of the way of nearly everything…</p><p>How the hell was he able to afford this place as a college student? It was shady as hell. Miroku was shady as hell. Inuyasha sure had surrounded himself with a bunch of weirdos, that's for sure.</p><p>At least the one thing that Inuyasha liked about him, Miroku never attempted to pry if he could avoid it. Usually, the enlightened-adjacent student would try to finesse conversation to avoid angering the hanyou. It’d taken Inuyasha many years to figure out Miroku’s tricks in that regard, not that it’d helped him form a strategy to fend off his probing…</p><p>He could sense the side-step towards the next available topic in three. Two. One.</p><p>“How does Chinese sound?”</p><p>There it was.</p><p>He might as well just play along, if Miroku planned to play his weird mind games with him. It’d just frustrate Inuyasha to have to keep up the dance, and he didn’t come here just to get aggravated all over again. “Beef-fry noodles for me.”</p><p>At the very least, he’d been granted a blissful reprieve while Miroku made the necessary arrangements for the food to be brought to them. </p><p>He sighed as he stretched his arms behind his head, making himself comfortable. One bother after another… Honestly, he didn’t particularly feel like hashing out one more stupid argument for Miroku to dissect. It wasn’t worth the trouble. </p><p>
  <em> “It’s actually pretty silly...” </em>
</p><p><em> Hm </em>. Inuyasha’s eyes opened at the sudden intrusion within his musing. His eyebrows furrowed as he recalled his encounter at the park once more.</p><p>Not that it was strictly out of the blue. Inuyasha had occasionally thought back on his conversation with Michiru since that particular night. Rather, it was an incident that had a unique hand in starting his current chain of events that left him unusually contemplative over the next couple of nights, up until it fell to the back of his mind, only to be glanced over when he had an adjacent thought come next to it.</p><p><em> “pretty silly...” </em> That was how Michiru described the pressure he’d felt that led him to having a breakdown alone in a public park at night. Although Inuyasha could hardly claim to realize any of Michiru’s challenges, they’d affected him in a particularly real way. Inuyasha reminded himself that things might have turned out very differently if he hadn’t been around to rescue him from his nerves… </p><p>
  <em> “There’s all this extra work, and I’m having a hard time understanding most of my classes. Philosophy isn’t easy…” </em>
</p><p>Philosophy… That was the kind of thing Miroku was studying too, wasn’t it? At least, it sounded familiar… He wondered if that sort of study attracted a certain kind of person, considering he’d known both of them to be anxious.</p><p>Not that you’d know it by the way Miroku carries himself, coming off as some worldly, carefree lecher. Truth was, the man was a closet worrier who tended to fret over things as if he had some genuine control over the universe. Miroku would have run himself sick trying to take care of everyone like the goddamned martyr he was if he hadn’t learned to take care of himself more. He’d certainly come a long way since Inuyasha had first come across him so many years ago. It almost felt like both a lifetime, looking at the progress his human friends continued to have made, but also just the shortest amount of time in his unique experience as a hanyou.</p><p>School, college, job hunting. These weren’t things Inuyasha ever had to really worry about. As it was, there were only a handful of incredibly special circumstances that he could communicate with humans in the first place, nevermind holding down a job, or taking classes. The most experience he had in tutelage was sitting in his mother’s lap, as she taught him to read and to write... </p><p>He could still remember the scent of her hair, and of her robes. Her soft hands helped his tiny paws coax ink from the brush, until the dark, wobbly lines spelled out a poor excuse of a signature.</p><p>The thoughts and sensations of his late mother stayed with him until the food arrived.</p><p>Miroku, being a gracious host, set the food out on the table in front of the couch. More or less a bachelor, he wasn’t particular about eating at the dining table proper. Inuyasha certainly wouldn’t complain. Their relationship had little room for propriety.</p><p>Miroku popped open the fried noodles Inuyasha had requested. After stabbing two chopsticks in, he held his hand up, side-out, and gave it a quick prayer. “I humbly leave this offering for you to receive.” He said plainly, before placing it in front of him.</p><p>It’d still remained  incredible to Inuyasha how <em> simple </em> it really was to suddenly make human food edible for him. Aside from the appetizing smell, or the warmth of the noodles, there’d simply be no way for him to enjoy it without a blessing. Items from the human world were only ever gifted, never taken, (although the ritual seemed sorta lackluster, not that he’d complain).</p><p>“Thanks.” Inuyasha gave his appreciation, completing the ceremony. He took the box in his hands and proceeded to tuck into it.</p><p>Thoughts slowed to a crawl when Inuyasha was introduced to food. Quite usually, he’d focus on filling his belly than on anything else. He was a guy of pretty simple tastes and needs.</p><p>He was just unfortunate that he had begun to reminisce about his mother before he began to eat. It was very difficult to put the past back in the box, once it had been dredged up again.</p><p>How long since then had Inuyasha even picked up a brush? It felt like a very long time, if at all… A lot of his younger days were still hazy to him. It wasn’t as though life as an orphaned runaway presented him many opportunities to challenge his calligraphy…</p><p>Actually, there were alot of things that had changed about the world since he was a kid. Buildings got taller, phones got smaller, the number of people easily trumped the number of yokai by the tens of thousands. He’d seen the rise and falls of eras in time, but they passed him by as quickly as channels on a tv.</p><p>Up until recently, he’d been more an observer of the human world, rather than participating within it.</p><p>“Is something troubling you, Inuyasha?”</p><p>Inuyasha started, glancing Miroku’s way curiously. Suddenly, he was very aware of the half-slurped noodles hanging down his chops and immediately drew them up for feast. </p><p>Miroku, gracious as he was, passed him a napkin. “If you’re distracted, perhaps you’d like to talk about it?” He offered, slyly adding, “I should hate to see your appetite suffer because you were bothered.” He gave him a smirk that clearly broadcasted how clever he thought he was.</p><p>Inuyasha chewed over his noodles as he considered how to respond to Miroku. If he planned to be a smart-alec, he wasn’t inclined to make things easy for him. He had no reason to bear his concerns to Miroku, especially if he was just gonna give the smarmy bastard ammunition to needle him. “<em>If I whine about my problems, I’ll probably just end up annoying everybody…”</em> <em>Huh.</em> Inuyasha swallowed down his noodles as the thought ambled into his head.</p><p>Michiru's shame. Inuyasha's pride.</p><p>Pride. That was what kept him from getting the dumb phone in the first place. It stopped him from asking for help by others, because he'd always only had himself. It was very difficult for Inuyasha to reconcile that that wasn't truly the case anymore. He had people, good people, good <em> friends </em> who he could rely on. </p><p><em> Maybe you're just ashamed to let yourself be vulnerable. </em> The thought bubbled bitterly in his mind.</p><p>Jeez, when Inuyasha <em> really </em> examined it, he was being something of a hypocrite. How often did he warn off Miroku when he was being stupid and self-sacrificing? When he ran himself ragged propping people up, at the expense of himself? This was really lame…</p><p>“Could you help me with my phone?”</p><p>Miroku blinked. By the obvious look on his face, Inuyasha gleaned he’d surprised him with the request. He supposed the shock was well-earned.</p><p>He drew his phone out of his pocket to show him. “I just got the damn thing today. It’s confusing as hell, and I barely have any damn clue how to use it.” He placed it in Miroku’s palm to look over. “I don’t know what data is, or how the camera works. I mostly just need to learn how to text…”</p><p>Miroku turned the piece of red plastic in his hand, inspecting it carefully. His eyes questioned Inuyasha silently, perhaps seeking some more context, but Inuyasha wasn't about to answer.</p><p>He'd like to retain some secrets for himself. </p><p>Thankfully, Miroku wouldn't press him. Rather, his friend would give him an admiring smile. “I’d be happy to help." They both scootched on their seats to hover over the screen.</p><p>Miroku would spend the remainder of his evening tutoring Inuyasha in the mysterious arts of electronic communication. With some heavily practiced patience on Miroku's part, along with clear, concise terms and direction, Inuyasha began to grasp a good number of the concepts that'd eluded him for so long.</p><p>It was just about ten o'clock before Inuyasha left Miroku’s apartment, seen by its lone occupant. They covered some  ground in the hours they’d spent over the operation of Inuyasha’s phone, and Inuyasha was able to catch on to some of the ideas without much incident. At the very least, Inuyasha didn’t explode with frustration or irritation when the patient human walked him through his lessons at snail’s pace. Even with his progress, there was a shared understanding that they would meet soon to go over the functions again.</p><p>Filled with a sense of accomplishment, both distinctive and just shy of alien to him, Inuyasha leapt into the night. While scaling the many stories of the building and taking in the bright lights of Tokyo proper, he mused at the thought that he was perhaps a margin closer with its many inhabitants.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello! If you made it this far, I suppose I must be doing something correct! Thanks for joining me on my nolstalgia wave! ^^</p><p>This chapter was mostly to help introduce alot of the cast. Obviously, there's some switchups to fit with the modern setting, and everyone's about 3-5 years older than canon now, so you'll get to see them dealing with some more mature situations unique to their characters. XD</p><p>I wanna give some special thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/adevinecomedy">adevinecomedy</a> for continuing to beta for me! Their help and their insight are nothing short of invaluable to this work!</p>
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